CN114206515B

CN114206515B - Cleaner and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN114206515B
Application number: CN202080055468.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 苏堤允; 金镇熙; 徐智惠; 郑然圭; 郑在烈
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-06
Filing date: 2020-09-04
Publication date: 2024-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-04
Also published as: EP3968833A4; EP3968833A1; KR20210029583A; EP3968833B1; WO2021045559A1; EP3968833C0; US11992176B2; CN114206515A; US20210068604A1

Abstract

A cleaner is disclosed. The cleaner according to an embodiment includes: a main body; a suction device configured to suck dust outside the cleaner; a dust detection sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element disposed adjacent to the suction device; a dust container configured to store dust sucked by the suction device; and a processor configured to identify a dust inflow state and a dust amount of the dust container based on the voltage value output from the light receiving element, and to control an operation of the cleaner based on the identified dust inflow state and the dust amount, wherein the light emitting element and the light receiving element are disposed outside the dust container in a direction toward an inlet of the dust container.

Description

Cleaner and control method thereof

Technical Field

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a cleaner and a method for controlling the cleaner, and more particularly, to a cleaner using one sensor to recognize whether dust is sucked and the amount of dust in a dust container, and a method for controlling the cleaner.

Background

The cleaner is a device for sucking dust existing outside the cleaner and removing the external dust. The cleaner may increase the suction force of the cleaner when dust flowing into the suction port of the cleaner is detected, and may inform the user of the state of the dust container when the dust container is full of dust. For this purpose, the cleaner requires a plurality of sensors, such as a sensor for detecting dust flowing into the suction port, a sensor for detecting the amount of dust in the dust container, and the like.

A disadvantage of the piezoelectric sensor used as the dust inflow detection sensor is that only large foreign matters are detectable, while small foreign matters such as dust are not easily detected, and therefore, the infrared sensor is used as the dust inflow detection sensor.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

In the case of the opposed type infrared sensor in which the emitting element and the receiving element face each other, it is difficult to detect dust except a field of view (FOV) area of the emitting/receiving element, and there is a disadvantage in that a blind area in which dust is not detected is wide.

The sensor for detecting the amount of dust in the dust container is mainly installed as an opposed type infrared sensor in the dust container. The dust amount detection sensor can detect the fullness of the dust container because dust is accumulated to cause light emission and reception to be blocked. However, such a dust amount detection sensor has a problem in that it is difficult to correctly detect the dust amount when the light emitting/light receiving portions of the light emitting sensor and the light receiving sensor in the dust container are contaminated.

Further, there is a problem in that a plurality of sensors such as a dust detection sensor and a dust amount detection sensor are installed such that the manufacturing cost of the cleaner increases, or the plurality of sensors occupy a large amount of space in the cleaner such that the size and volume of the cleaner increases.

Solution to the problem

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and provide at least the advantages described below.

A cleaner using a sensor to recognize whether dust flows into the cleaner and an amount of dust in a dust container and a method of controlling the cleaner are provided.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a cleaner according to an embodiment includes: a main body; a suction device configured to suck dust outside the cleaner; a dust detection sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element disposed adjacent to the suction device; a dust container configured to store dust sucked by the suction device; and a processor configured to identify a dust inflow state and a dust amount of the dust container based on the voltage value output from the light receiving element, and to control an operation of the cleaner based on the identified dust inflow state and the dust amount, wherein the light emitting element and the light receiving element are disposed outside the dust container in a direction toward an inlet of the dust container.

According to an embodiment, a method of controlling a cleaner includes sucking dust outside the cleaner; using a light emitting element to emit light in the direction of an inlet of a dust container outside the dust container included in the cleaner; detecting the light quantity of the light using the light receiving element; identifying a dust inflow state and a dust amount in the dust container based on a voltage value corresponding to the detected light amount output from the light receiving element; and controlling an operation of the cleaner based on the identified dust inflow state and dust amount.

Drawings

The foregoing and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is a diagram illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment;

FIG. 1b is a diagram illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cleaner according to various embodiments;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing a cleaner for recognizing an amount of dust in a dust container according to an embodiment;

fig. 4 is a view showing a cleaner for recognizing a dust inflow state according to an embodiment;

fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cleaner according to an embodiment in more detail;

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a structure of a dust detection sensor according to an embodiment;

Fig. 7a is a diagram showing a position of a dust detection sensor according to an embodiment;

fig. 7b is a diagram showing a position of the dust detection sensor according to an embodiment;

fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the cleaner according to the embodiment; and

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the cleaner according to the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below, but also includes various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives to those embodiments. With respect to the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like constituent elements.

In this specification, expressions such as "having", "may have", "include", "may include", etc. mean that the presence of corresponding features (e.g., components such as quantity, function, operation or portion) is indicated, and the presence of additional features is not precluded.

In this document, the expression "a or B", "at least one of a and/or B" or "one or more of a and/or B" etc. includes all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "a or B", "at least one of a and B", or "at least one of a or B" includes: (1) at least one A; (2) at least one B; (3) at least one A and at least one B together.

As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to various components, regardless of order and/or importance, and may be used to distinguish one component from another and not to otherwise limit such components.

It will be understood that an element (e.g., a first element) being "operably or communicatively coupled" to another element (e.g., a second element) or an element (e.g., a first element) being "operably or communicatively coupled" to another element (e.g., a second element) is that any such element may be directly connected to the other element or may be connected via the other element (e.g., a third element). On the other hand, when an element (e.g., a first element) is "directly connected" or "directly accessed/accessed" to another element (e.g., a second element), it will be understood that there are no other elements (e.g., third element) between the other elements.

The expression "configured to" may be used interchangeably with, for example, "adapted to", "having … capabilities", "designed to", "adapted to", "made of" or "capable of …". The expression "configured to" does not necessarily mean "specially designed in the hardware sense". Conversely, in some cases, a "device configured as …" may indicate that such a device "may perform …" with another device or component. For example, the expression "a processor configured (or arranged) to perform A, B and C" may indicate a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) performing the respective actions or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an Application Processor (AP)) that may perform the respective actions by running one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

In the present disclosure, the cleaner is a device for sucking external dust or foreign matter in a manner of sucking air, and may include a vacuum cleaner, an upright vacuum cleaner, a hand-held vacuum cleaner, a robot cleaner, a cyclone cleaner, and the like.

In the present disclosure, dust refers to foreign matter outside the cleaner, and includes large foreign matter such as sand, hair, etc., and fine particles suspended in air.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1a is a diagram illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment. Specifically, fig. 1a is a perspective view illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment, and fig. 1b is a view illustrating elements included in the cleaner according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 1a, the cleaner 100 may include a main body 11, a brush 12, a suction device 13, and a dust container 14.

The body 11 may have various shapes. Although fig. 1a illustrates a circular robot cleaner, the cleaner of the present disclosure may be variously implemented with a vacuum cleaner, an upright vacuum cleaner, a hand-held vacuum cleaner, a robot cleaner, a cyclone cleaner, etc., and thus, the main body may be variously formed of a square, a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylindrical shape, etc.

The main body 11 may form a suction port at one side of the main body 11 to suck foreign materials outside the cleaner 100 into the cleaner 100. In the present disclosure, a suction port is provided at a lower portion of the main body, but not necessarily limited thereto, and the position of the suction port may vary according to the type and shape of the cleaner.

In the suction port, a brush 12 for removing foreign substances or dust on the bottom surface of the cleaner may be provided in or connected to the suction port. When the brush 12 is connected to the suction port, the brush 12 may be connected to the suction port by an extension member (not shown), a handle device (not shown), or the like.

This is merely exemplary and the suction opening of the main body may be connected to the suction device 13 and the suction device may comprise a brush.

Fig. 1b is a diagram illustrating elements included in a cleaner according to an embodiment.

The brush 12 removes dust from the outside of the cleaner. The brush 12 may be rotated by a motor to guide dust or foreign matter on the bottom surface of the cleaner toward the suction port of the cleaner 100. The dust or foreign matter flowing into the suction port through the brush 12 may be sucked into the cleaner 100 and collected in the dust container 14 through the suction device 13.

The brush 12 may comprise a side brush. Specifically, in the case where the cleaner 100 is a robot cleaner, a side brush (not shown) may be included in addition to the brush 12, and the side brush (not shown) may collect dust on the floor and send the collected dust to the main brush near the suction flow path. The side brushes (not shown) may be driven by a motor separate from the motor of the brush 12.

The suction device 13 is configured to suck dust outside the cleaner 100. The suction device 13 may suck dust outside the cleaner together with air outside the cleaner.

The suction device 13 may be connected to a suction port of the cleaner 100. The suction device 13 may include a suction flow path, and dust passing through the suction flow path may be stored in the dust container 14. That is, the suction device 13 may connect the suction port of the main body 11 with the dust container 14 such that dust sucked through the suction port is stored in the dust container 14. Since dust moves from the suction port to the dust container 14 through the suction device 13, a dust detection sensor 110 for detecting a position where dust flows into the vicinity of the suction device 13 may be provided.

The dust container 14 may be installed at the rear of the main body 11. The dust container 14 may store dust sucked by the cleaner 100, and if the amount of dust or foreign matter stored in the dust container 14 exceeds a predetermined value, the cleaner 100 may display a notification indicating that the dust container is full. Further, when the cleaner 100 is a robot cleaner, if the amount of dust or foreign matter stored in the dust container 14 exceeds a predetermined value, the cleaner 100 may be moved to a docking station (not shown) for docking. Dust or foreign matter collected in the dust container 14 may be sucked into the dust container in a docking station (not shown). Alternatively, foreign substances or dust collected in the dust container may be removed by removing the dust container to pour out the dust or replacing the dust container.

The suction motor 15 generates a suction force so that dust outside the cleaner is absorbed into the dust container 14. Specifically, the suction motor 15 may transmit a rotational force of the suction motor 15 to a dust suction fan (not shown) to rotate the dust suction fan (not shown). The air outside the cleaner flows into the suction device 13 by the suction fan together with dust from outside the cleaner.

The suction motor 15 may change the intensity of the suction force according to whether dust is detected. The suction motor 15 may be operated in a normal mode when dust is not detected, so that a suction force of a predetermined magnitude may be generated. When dust is detected, the suction motor 15 may be operated in the turbo-charged mode so that a suction force greater than or equal to a predetermined magnitude in the normal mode may be generated.

The dust detection sensor 110 may be used to detect the amount of dust in the dust container 14 and the inflow of dust. For this, the dust detection sensor 110 may be disposed outside the dust container 14, and may be disposed outside the dust container 14 in the direction of the inlet of the dust container.

The cleaner 100 according to the present disclosure will be described in more detail.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cleaner according to various embodiments.

As shown in fig. 2, the cleaner 100 includes a dust detection sensor 110 and a processor 120.

The dust detection sensor 110 is configured to detect dust or foreign matter flowing from the outside to the inside of the cleaner 100. The dust detection sensor 110 may include a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The light emitting element and the light receiving element may be disposed adjacent to each other. Further, one light emitting element may be arranged on one line between at least two light receiving elements. However, this is merely exemplary and is not limited thereto. That is, the number and positions of the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements may vary according to embodiments.

The light emitting element is an infrared optical sensor and can emit light. Specifically, the light emitting element may be disposed outside the dust container 14 in the direction of the inlet of the dust container 14, so that light may be emitted from the outside of the dust container 14 in the direction of the inlet of the dust container 14. The light emitted from the light emitting element may be reflected by the dust container 14 or by dust or foreign matter in the dust container 14. The dust detection sensor 110 may be disposed adjacent to the suction device 13, and light emitted from the light emitting element may be reflected by the suction device 13 or dust flowing into the dust container 14 through the suction device 13.

The light receiving element may also receive light as an infrared light sensor. Specifically, the light receiving element may receive light emitted by the light emitting element after the emitted light is reflected. Similar to the light emitting element, a light receiving element may also be provided in the suction device 13 and outside the dust container 14 in the direction of the inlet of the dust container 14. Therefore, the light receiving element can receive light reflected by the suction device 13 and dust inside the suction device 13, and can also receive light reflected by the inside of the dust container 14 and dust inside the dust container 14. The reflection area of light and the amount of reflected light per unit area may vary depending on the position at which the light is reflected. Therefore, the amount of light reaching the light receiving element may also vary depending on the position of the reflected light.

The light receiving element may output a voltage corresponding to the amount of received light. Since the amount of light reaching the light receiving element varies according to the reflection position of the light emitted from the light emitting element, the magnitude of the voltage output from the light receiving element may vary according to the reflection position of the light emitted from the light emitting element.

For example, when the light receiving element receives light reflected by the suction device 13 or dust flowing into the dust container 14 through the suction device 13, the light receiving element may receive a larger reflected light amount than when the light receiving element receives light reflected by the dust container 14 or dust in the dust container 14 because the light receiving element is disposed adjacent to the suction device 13. In this example, the light receiving element may output a high voltage based on the amount of light received. When the light receiving element receives light reflected by the dust container 14 or dust in the dust container 14, the light receiving element may receive less light than when receiving light reflected in the suction device 13, because a distance between the light receiving element and a reflection position of the light is further than when the light receiving element receives light reflected by the suction device 13 or dust flowing through a suction flow path of the suction device 13, causing the reflection area to be widened. In this example, the light receiving element may output a low voltage based on the amount of light received.

The processor 120 may control the overall operation and function of the cleaner 100.

Based on the voltage value output from the light receiving element, the processor 120 can determine whether dust flows into the cleaner 100 and the amount of dust in the dust container 14. Specifically, the processor 120 may determine whether dust amount and dust flow based on an average value of at least one voltage value output from the light receiving element within a predetermined time unit.

Specifically, the processor 120 may obtain the voltage value from the light receiving element every predetermined first time (e.g., 2 ms). The processor 120 may select some of the plurality of obtained voltage values for each predetermined first time to calculate an average value of at least one voltage value over a predetermined second time (e.g., 10 ms). The second time unit may comprise the first time unit. For example, the processor 120 may obtain voltage values corresponding to the amount of light received from the light receiving element every 2ms, select five voltage values from the plurality of obtained voltage values every 2ms, and calculate an average value of the five voltage values within a unit of 10 ms.

The processor 120 may calculate an average of the plurality of voltage values at predetermined first times. The processor 120 may obtain the voltage value from the light receiving element at a predetermined first time, and at the same time, may calculate an average value of a plurality of voltage values within a predetermined second time range using at least one voltage value obtained from the light receiving element before obtaining the voltage value.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the voltage value obtained from the light receiving element corresponds to a predetermined range, the processor 120 may calculate an average value of the plurality of voltage values within a predetermined second time unit. For example, the processor 120 may calculate an average value of a plurality of voltage values obtained within a predetermined time unit only when the voltage value obtained from the light receiving element is 0.001V or more and 1V or less.

The processor 120 may determine the amount of dust in the dust container based on an average value of voltage values output from the light receiving element in a predetermined time unit (hereinafter referred to as an average voltage value).

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a cleaner for recognizing the amount of dust in a dust container according to an embodiment, and is a diagram showing a graph of an average voltage value over time.

As described above, the processor 120 may obtain an average value of the voltage values output from the light receiving elements (hereinafter referred to as an average voltage value) for a predetermined time unit (e.g., 10 ms) every predetermined time (e.g., 2 ms).

As the amount of dust in the dust container 14 increases, dust within the dust container is accumulated, and thus, the position at which light emitted from the light emitting element is reflected into the dust container may vary according to the amount of dust in the dust container 14. Specifically, when the dust amount of the dust container 14 is small, the light receiving element may receive light reflected from the bottom surface of the dust container 14 or a position adjacent thereto, but in an example where the dust amount in the dust container 14 is large, the light receiving element may receive light reflected from a position adjacent to the inlet of the dust container 14. That is, the more dust is accumulated in the dust container 14, the closer the position at which the light emitted from the light emitting device is reflected can be to the entrance of the dust container, and the amount of light received by the light receiving element can be increased. Accordingly, as dust in the dust container 14 accumulates, the voltage value output by the light receiving element increases. Further, as shown in fig. 4, the average voltage value also increases with time.

When the average value of the voltage values output from the light receiving elements in the predetermined time unit (i.e., the average voltage value) is greater than or equal to the preset value, the processor 120 may determine that the dust container 14 is full of dust.

When the average voltage value is greater than or equal to the preset threshold value for a predetermined time (Δt), the processor 120 may determine that the amount of dust in the dust container 14 is full. The preset threshold value and the preset time are values that vary according to the capacity of the dust container 14, and may be determined differently according to experiments.

The processor 120 may use the calculated average voltage value to identify whether dust flows from outside the cleaner 100 to the dust container 14.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a cleaner for recognizing a dust inflow state according to an embodiment.

As described above, since the dust detection sensor 110 including the light emitting element and the light receiving element is provided at a position adjacent to the suction device 13, light emitted from the light emitting element can be reflected by dust within the suction device 13 and received by the light receiving element. That is, the light receiving element may receive light reflected from dust flowing into the dust container 14 through the suction device 13 in the cleaner 100, and the processor 120 may determine whether the dust flows into the cleaner 100 using the same.

As described above, the processor 120 may obtain the voltage value output from the light receiving element every predetermined first time unit, and may calculate the average voltage value in the second time unit based on the obtained voltage value. The second time unit may comprise the first time unit.

The graph 401 of fig. 4 shows voltage values output from the light receiving element every predetermined first time unit, and the graph 402 shows average voltage values calculated every predetermined first time unit.

The processor 120 may compare the average voltage value with the output voltage value, and if the difference is greater than or equal to a preset first value, the processor 120 may determine that dust flows from outside the cleaner 100.

The processor 120 may obtain the voltage value output from the light receiving element at time t1, and obtain the average voltage value based on at least one voltage value obtained from the light receiving element before time t 1. The processor 120 may determine that dust flows from the outside if a difference between the obtained voltage value and the average voltage value is greater than or equal to a preset first value. The preset value represents a value obtained through experiments, and may be differently set according to the type of cleaner.

According to an embodiment, a method of identifying whether dust flows into the cleaner (dust inflow state) and the amount of dust may be different.

For example, if the difference between the average voltage value and the output voltage value is greater than or equal to a preset first value, the processor 120 may identify whether the average voltage value is within a preset range. Specifically, if the difference between the average voltage value and the output voltage value is greater than or equal to a preset value, the processor 120 may recognize whether the average voltage value is greater than or equal to a preset second value and less than a preset third value, and if the average voltage value corresponds thereto, the processor 120 may recognize that the state is a dust inflow state. The processor 120 may recognize that the dust container 14 is in a full state if the average voltage value exceeds a preset third value, and the processor 120 may recognize that the dust container 14 is in a separated state from the cleaner 100 if the average voltage value is less than the preset second value.

As described above, there may be various methods of using one sensor to recognize whether dust flows and the sum of the amounts of dust in the dust container.

Referring back to fig. 2, the processor 120 may control the operation of the cleaner 100 based on the identified dust inflow state and dust amount.

The processor 120 may control the suction motor according to whether dust flows. Based on the determination that the dust detected by the dust detection sensor 110 flows from the outside to the inside of the cleaner 100, the processor 120 may control the suction motor 15 to increase the suction force of the suction motor 15.

If it is recognized that the cleaner 100 is in the power-on state and dust does not flow to the cleaner, the processor 120 may control the suction motor 15 such that the suction motor 15 operates in the normal mode. Here, the normal mode is one of the operation modes of the suction motor 15, and represents a predetermined magnitude of the suction force (e.g., 150 Air Watts (AW)).

The processor 120 may control the suction motor 15 such that the suction motor 15 operates in a turbo-charged mode when it is recognized that dust flows into the cleaner 100. In this example, the turbo charging mode is one of the operation modes of the suction motor 15, and is in a state having a suction force larger than that in the normal mode. For example, the suction force of the suction motor 15 in the normal mode may be 150AW, and the suction force of the suction motor 15 in the turbo-charged mode may be 180AW.

That is, if it is recognized that dust does not flow into the cleaner, the processor 120 may control the suction motor 15 such that the suction force of the suction motor has a predetermined value (a value corresponding to the normal mode), and if it is recognized that dust flows into the cleaner, the processor 120 may control the suction motor 15 to increase the suction force of the suction motor 15 to be greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

Accordingly, the cleaner 100 can control the suction force of the suction motor 15 based on the dust inflow state, and can reduce power consumption. This is merely exemplary and if the processor 120 recognizes a dust flow, the processor 120 may increase the rotational speed of the brush 12.

The processor 120 may control the operation of the dust detection sensor 110 based on the amount of dust in the dust container 14. The processor 120 may stop the dust inflow detection operation of the dust detection sensor 110 if it is recognized that the dust amount in the dust container 14 is full. The processor 120 may control a driving device (not shown) to move the cleaner 100 to a predetermined position. The predetermined position may refer to a station of the robot cleaner in which a battery of the robot cleaner is charged or a dust container of the robot cleaner is emptied. That is, if it is recognized that the dust amount of the dust container 14 is full, the processor 120 may control a driving device (not shown) so that the cleaner 100 may move to the station.

The processor 120 may obtain capacity information of the battery from a power supply unit (not shown). The capacity information of the battery may include a total capacity of the battery, an available time of the battery, and the like.

Based on the obtained capacity information of the battery, the processor 120 can recognize the dust inflow state and the dust amount. If the available capacity of the battery exceeds a predetermined value, the processor 120 can identify whether dust is flowing into the cleaner 100 and the amount of dust in the dust container 14. That is, if the available capacity of the battery is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the processor 120 may not recognize whether dust flows into the cleaner 100 and the amount of dust in the dust container 14. For example, if the cleaner is a robot cleaner and the available capacity of the battery is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the processor 120 may control a driving device (not shown) to stop the dust inflow state and the determination of the dust amount of the dust container 14 so that the cleaner may be moved to a station (not shown). In this example, the processor 120 may stop operation of the brush 12 and the suction motor 15. When the cleaner 100 moves to the station, the processor 120 may control a power supply unit (not shown) to charge the battery of the cleaner.

The processor 120 can recognize the operation mode of the cleaner 100 and recognize the dust inflow state and the dust amount of the dust container 14 only when the operation mode of the cleaner 100 is in a specific mode. Here, the operation mode of the cleaner 100 may include an automatic mode, a manual mode, a spot cleaning mode, etc., which may vary according to the type of cleaner and the setting of the system. The automatic mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner detects dust while automatically operating without a user operation, the manual mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner 100 operates according to a user operation, and the spot cleaning mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner 100 automatically detects dust and sucks dust while moving a specific area designated by a user.

The processor 120 can recognize the dust inflow state and the dust amount of the dust container 14 only when the operation mode of the cleaner 100 is the automatic mode, and the processor 120 can stop recognizing the dust inflow state and the dust amount of the dust container 14 when the operation mode of the cleaner 100 is the manual mode or other modes.

The processor 120 may recognize the dust inflow state and the dust amount of the dust container 14 based on whether the cleaning of the cleaner is completed. Specifically, the processor 120 may recognize whether the cleaning of the cleaner is completed based on the movement information of the cleaner. Based on the accumulated movement information of the cleaner, the processor 120 may obtain information of the area to be cleaned and store the information in a memory (not shown). The processor 120 may compare the obtained information on the cleanable area with movement information of the cleaner to identify whether the cleaning of the cleaner is completed. If it is recognized that the cleaner has not completed cleaning, the processor 120 may recognize a dust inflow state and an amount of dust in the dust container 14.

The processor 120 may control various elements of the cleaner 100.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cleaner according to the embodiment in more detail.

Referring to fig. 5, the cleaner 100 according to various embodiments may include a dust container 130, a driving device 140, a detecting device 150, a memory 160, a communication interface 170, a display 180, an input interface 190, a power device 200, and a processor 120. The description of the processor 120 overlaps with that in fig. 2, and will be omitted.

The dust collector 130 collects dust existing outside the cleaner 100. As shown in fig. 5, the dust container 130 may include a brush 12, a suction device 13, a dust container 14, and a suction motor 15. The description of the brush 12, the suction device 13, the dust container 14 and the suction motor 15 will not be described in detail since a description has been provided with reference to fig. 2.

The driving device 140 is a component of the moving cleaner 100. The drive device 140 may include one or more wheels. Further, the driving apparatus 140 may include a driving motor for rotating the wheel according to the type of cleaner. The driving device 140 may perform driving operations, such as moving, stopping, rotating, etc., according to control signals of the processor 120.

The detection device 150 may include a sensor included in the operation of the cleaner 100. The detection device 150 may include the dust detection sensor 110 described in fig. 2. A description of the dust detection sensor 110 has been provided with reference to fig. 2, and will not be further described.

The detection device 150 may further include an obstacle detection sensor 151, a liquid detection sensor 152, and the like. The obstacle detection sensor 151 may detect the position of an obstacle around the cleaner 100 and the distance from the obstacle using an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a Radio Frequency (RF) sensor, or the like. Further, the obstacle detection sensor 151 may further include a collision sensor to detect an obstacle through a collision with the obstacle. The liquid detection sensor 152 may detect whether the cleaner 100 is in contact with the liquid. Specifically, the liquid detection sensor 152 may detect whether the liquid is in contact with the wheel constituting the driving device 140 of the cleaner 100.

The memory 160 may store various programs and data required for the operation of the cleaner 100. The memory 160 may be implemented as a non-volatile memory, a flash memory, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or a Solid State Drive (SSD).

The memory 160 may store a plurality of voltage values obtained from the light receiving element for each predetermined first time unit. The processor 120 may calculate an average voltage value based on the plurality of voltage values stored in the memory 160.

The memory 160 may store map information generated according to driving of the driving device 140. The map information may be in the form of an image, and may be trajectory data in the form of coordinates, which indicates a moving path and a cleaning path of the cleaner 100 during cleaning. Here, the moving path is an entire path of the cleaner 100, and the cleaning path refers to a path in which a dust suction operation is performed by the dust container 130 in the entire path. The memory 160 may store history and the like generated during the cleaning process as history information. The history information may include cleaning time, charging frequency information, error occurrence frequency information, corresponding error information, information about uncleaned areas, and the like.

The communication interface 170 is configured to allow the cleaner 100 to communicate with an external device (not shown). Here, the external device (not shown) may be a user terminal device, a home server, or the like, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The cleaner 100 may provide cleaning result information to a user terminal device (not shown) through the communication interface 170, and may receive various commands related to the operation of the cleaner 100 from the user terminal device. The cleaning result information may represent information about a cleaning result performed by the cleaner 100, and may include a cleaning time, a moving path, a cleaning path, error information, unclean area information, and the like.

The communication interface 170 may include various communication modules such as a wired communication module (not shown), a near field wireless communication module (not shown), a wireless communication module (not shown), and the like.

The wired communication module is a module for performing communication with an external device (not shown) according to a wired communication method such as wired ethernet. The near field communication module is a module for performing communication with an external terminal (not shown) located at a close distance by a near field communication method such as Bluetooth (BT), bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), zigBee, or the like. The wireless communication module is a module that performs communication by connecting to an external network according to a wireless communication protocol, such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), or the like. The wireless communication module may also include a mobile communication module that connects to a mobile communication network according to various mobile communication standards such as a third generation (3G), third generation partnership project (3 GPP), long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), fifth generation (5G) network, etc., to perform communication.

The display 180 may display various information supported by the cleaner 100. The display 180 may be a small monitor such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and may be implemented as a touch screen capable of performing the functions of the input interface 190 described later.

The display 180 may display information such as an operation state (cleaning mode or sleep mode) of the robot cleaner 100, information related to a cleaning process (e.g., cleaning process time, current cleaning mode (e.g., suction intensity)), battery information, a charge state, whether the dust container is full of dust, an error condition (liquid contact state), and the like. If an error is detected, the display 180 may indicate the detected error.

The input interface 190 is a component that receives user input. The input interface 190 may include a plurality of function keys corresponding to functions of the cleaner 100. The input interface 190 may be implemented as a plurality of buttons or the like, and may be implemented as a touch screen for simultaneously performing the functions of the display 180.

The input interface 190 may receive an on/off command of a function of the cleaner 100, selection of a cleaning mode, a re-cleaning command for a cleaning area, a cleaning command for a specific space, and the like.

The power device 200 provides power required to drive the cleaner 100. The power device 200 may be electrically connected to various components of the cleaner 100, such as the dust container 130, the driving device 140, and the like, to supply power. The power device 200 may include a battery. The battery may be provided as a rechargeable secondary battery, and when the cleaner 100 completes its operation and is connected to a station (not shown), the battery may be charged with electricity from the station. The power device 200 may provide information about the battery, such as the capacity of the battery, the time of availability of the battery, etc., to the processor 120. Fig. 6 illustrates a structure of a dust detection sensor according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 6, the dust detection sensor 110 may include a transparent window 610 and a barrier rib 620.

The transparent window 610 is provided at upper ends of the light emitting element 612 and the light receiving element 614, that is, at a side from which light is output and from which light enters, for passing light emitted from the light emitting element and light directed toward the light receiving element.

The transparent window 610 included in the dust detection sensor 110 prevents dust from contaminating the light emitting element and the light receiving element.

As shown in fig. 6, internal reflection may occur due to dust attached to the transparent window 610. In this example, the light receiving element may receive light reflected by internal reflection, so that dust inflow detection errors may be generated.

In order to prevent this phenomenon, the light emitting element and the light receiving element may include barrier ribs 620. The blocking rib 620 surrounds a side portion of the light emitting element or the light receiving element so as to block light emitted from the light emitting element from being reflected from the transparent window and received by the light receiving element.

In order to avoid internal reflection of the emitted light as much as possible, the barrier ribs 620 may be disposed as close to the transparent window 610 as possible. Specifically, as shown in fig. 6, the barrier rib may surround a side portion of the light emitting element or the light receiving element such that an upper end of the barrier rib is in contact with the transparent window.

Since the internal reflection occurs due to dust adhering to the transparent window 610, an arrangement position of the dust detection sensor may be considered for reducing dust adhering to the transparent window 610.

Fig. 7a and 7b are diagrams showing positions of dust detection sensors according to embodiments.

Fig. 7a and 7b show diagrams showing a side view of the suction device 13 provided with the dust detection sensor 110.

As shown in fig. 7a, when the dust detection sensor 110 protrudes from the inner surface of the suction device 13, dust sucked from the outside may be accumulated in a space generated according to a step difference between the dust detection sensor 110 and the suction device 13. Accordingly, dust may be buried or accumulated in the transparent window 610 of the dust detection sensor 110, and thus the internal reflection problem described above may occur in fig. 7 a.

To prevent this, as shown in fig. 7b, the transparent window 610 of the dust detection sensor 110 may be positioned on the same line as one side of the suction device 13 so that a step difference is not generated between the dust detection sensor 110 and the suction device 13. Specifically, the dust detection sensor 110 may be disposed such that the front surface of the transparent window 610 is located in the same plane as the inner surface of the suction device 13. In other words, as can be seen in fig. 7b, the transparent window 610 of the dust detection sensor 110 is flush with the inner surface of the suction device 13. In this example, no dust is accumulated around the dust detection sensor 110, because there is no step difference between the dust detection sensor 110 and the suction device 13. That is, as shown in fig. 7b, when both ends of the dust detection sensor 110 are placed on an extension line of the inner surface of the suction device 13 as shown in fig. 7b to prevent a step difference from occurring between the dust detection sensor 110 and the suction device 13, a detection error of the light receiving element due to internal reflection of light emitted from the light emitting element can be reduced.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the cleaner according to the embodiment.

Referring to fig. 8, in operation S810, dust outside the cleaner is sucked. Dust sucked from outside the cleaner may flow to the dust container through the suction device.

In operation S820, light is emitted from the outside of the dust container included in the cleaner in the direction of the inlet of the dust container by using the light emitting device. At this time, the light emitting element may be disposed at a position adjacent to the suction device, and may be disposed outside the dust container in an inlet direction of the dust container. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting element can reach the inside of the dust container through the inlet of the dust container. Meanwhile, light emitted from the light emitting element may be reflected from dust inside the dust container or dust inside the suction device.

In this example, in operation S830, the light amount may be detected using a light receiving element disposed adjacent to the light emitting element. The intensity of the voltage output by the light receiving element may be determined according to the detected light amount.

In operation S840, a dust inflow state in the cleaner and an amount of dust in the cleaner may be identified based on a voltage value corresponding to the detected light amount output from the light receiving element. Specifically, an average value of the voltage values output from the light receiving element in a predetermined time unit may be calculated, and the dust amount and the dust inflow state in the dust container may be identified based on the calculated average value.

For example, if the average value of the output voltage values is greater than or equal to a preset value, it can be recognized that the dust amount in the dust container is full. However, this is an embodiment, and if the average value of the output voltage values is greater than or equal to the preset value for a predetermined period of time, it can be recognized that the amount of dust in the dust container is full.

If the difference between the average value of the voltage values output from the light receiving elements and the voltage value output from the light receiving elements within a predetermined time unit is greater than or equal to a preset value, it can be recognized that dust flows from the outside. A process of identifying the dust inflow state and the dust amount of the dust container will be further described with reference to fig. 9.

In operation S850, the operation of the cleaner may be controlled based on the identified dust inflow state and dust amount.

If it is recognized that the dust amount of the dust container is full, the dust detection operation may be stopped, and the cleaner may be moved to a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position may be a site of the cleaner. That is, if it is recognized that the dust amount of the dust container of the cleaner is full, the dust contained in the dust container of the cleaner may be emptied by moving the cleaner to a station of the cleaner.

If dust flow is recognized, the suction force of the cleaner may be increased to be greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The predetermined value represents a value corresponding to a suction force when the cleaner does not suck dust, and may be a value corresponding to a suction force of the suction motor in a normal state.

The method of controlling a cleaner according to the present disclosure may further include identifying an operation mode of the cleaner. Here, the operation mode of the cleaner may include an automatic mode, a manual mode, a spot cleaning mode, etc., which may vary according to the type of cleaner and the setting of the system. The automatic mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner 100 detects dust while automatically operating without an operation of a user, and the manual mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner 100 operates according to an operation of a user, and the spot cleaning mode indicates a mode in which the cleaner 100 automatically senses dust and sucks dust while moving in a specific area designated by a user.

If the identified operation mode of the cleaner is a preset mode, whether dust flows may be identified based on a voltage value obtained from the light receiving element. In this example, the preset mode refers to an automatic mode, i.e., a mode in which the cleaner is automatically operated without an operation of a user and detects and sucks dust.

The control method of the cleaner according to the embodiment can obtain the available capacity information of the battery of the cleaner. If the available capacity of the obtained battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the dust inflow state and the dust amount in the dust container can be identified.

According to the control method of the cleaner of another embodiment, the moving path of the cleaner can be obtained. Whether the cleaning of the cleaner is completed may be identified based on the obtained movement path information of the cleaner. In this example, if it is recognized that the cleaning of the cleaner is not completed, the dust inflow state and the dust amount in the dust container may be recognized.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing step S830 of fig. 8 in more detail.

A voltage value corresponding to the amount of light detected by the light receiving element may be obtained from the light receiving element, and the obtained voltage value may be identified. In operation 910, it is recognized whether a voltage value obtained from the light receiving element is equal to or greater than a preset first value or less than a preset second value.

In operation 920, if the voltage value obtained from the light receiving element is greater than or equal to a preset first value and less than or equal to a preset second value, an average voltage value is obtained in operation 920. Here, the average voltage value may represent an average value of voltage values obtained from the light receiving element in a predetermined time range.

In operation 930-Y, if the difference between the average voltage obtained in operation 920 and the voltage value obtained in step 910 is equal to or greater than a preset third value, a range of average voltage values may be identified.

In this example, if the average voltage value is greater than or equal to the preset fourth value and less than the preset fifth value in operation 940-Y, the cleaner 100 may recognize that dust is flowing in operation 950.

In operation 960-Y, if the average voltage value is equal to or greater than the preset fifth value, it may be recognized in operation 970 that the dust container is full of dust.

If the average voltage value is less than the preset fourth value in operation 980-Y, the dust container may be identified as being detached (or separated) from the cleaner in operation 990.

As described above, the control method of the cleaner according to the embodiment recognizes whether dust flows into the cleaner or the dust amount in the dust container through one sensor, and thus, there is an effect of saving the manufacturing cost of the cleaner and reducing the volume and capacity of the cleaner.

The control method described above may be implemented with a program including an executable algorithm executable on a computer, and the program may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium.

A non-transitory computer readable medium refers to a medium that semi-permanently stores data, such as registers, caches, memories, etc., rather than storing data in a very short time, and may be read by an apparatus. The various applications or programs described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a hard disk, a blu-ray disc, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a memory card, a Read Only Memory (ROM), etc., and may be provided.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cleaner, comprising:

a suction device configured to suck dust from outside the cleaner, and having a suction flow path through which the sucked dust passes;

a dust container having an inlet and configured to store dust sucked by the suction apparatus;

A dust detection sensor provided outside the dust container in a direction toward the inlet of the dust container and adjacent to the suction device, and including:

a light emitting element disposed outside the dust container and configured to emit light toward the inlet of the dust container, and

A light receiving element disposed outside the dust container in a direction of the inlet of the dust container and configured to receive light; and

A processor configured to:

Identifying a dust inflow state and a dust amount of the dust container based on a voltage value output by the light receiving element, and

The operation of the cleaner is controlled based on the identified dust inflow state and dust amount.

2. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the dust amount of the dust container based on an average of voltage values output by at least one of the light receiving elements over a predetermined time unit.

3. The cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to recognize that the dust amount in the dust container is full based on an average value of the voltage values output by at least one of the light receiving elements in the predetermined time unit being greater than or equal to a preset value.

4. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to recognize that the dust flows in from the outside based on a difference between an average value of the voltage values output by the at least one light receiving element and the voltage value output by the at least one light receiving element in a predetermined time unit being greater than or equal to a preset value.

5. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction apparatus comprises:

A suction motor configured to cause the dust to be sucked to the dust container, and

Wherein the processor is further configured to control the suction motor such that a suction force of the suction motor is increased to a predetermined value or more based on the recognition that the dust flows into the cleaner.

6. The cleaner of claim 3 further comprising:

a driving device configured to move the cleaner,

Wherein the processor is further configured to stop a dust inflow detection operation and control the driving device to move the cleaner to a station of the cleaner based on the recognition that the dust amount of the dust container is full.

7. A cleaner according to claim 1,

Wherein the dust detection sensor comprises a transparent window through which light emitted by at least one of the light emitting elements passes, and through which light reflected from a reflective position inside the dust container and light reflected from a reflective position inside the suction device pass,

Wherein the front surface of the transparent window is flush with the surface of the suction device.

8. The cleaner of claim 7 wherein the dust detection sensor further comprises:

a blocking rib surrounding a side portion of each of the at least one light emitting element or a side portion of each of the at least one light receiving element and configured to block light emitted by the at least one light emitting element and reflected by the transparent window from being received by the at least one light receiving element.

9. The cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the barrier rib surrounds a side of each of at least one of the light emitting elements or surrounds a side of each of at least one of the light receiving elements in a state where an upper end of the barrier rib is in contact with the transparent window.

10. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the dust inflow state and the dust amount in the dust container based on the voltage value output by at least one of the light receiving elements, based on an operation mode of the cleaner being a mode in which the cleaner is automatically operated without an operation of a user.

11. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain information on an available capacity of a battery of the cleaner, and to identify the dust inflow state and the dust amount in the dust container based on the obtained information indicating that the available capacity of the battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

12. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

based on the information on the moving path of the cleaner, whether the cleaning of the cleaner is completed is identified, and based on the identification that the cleaning of the cleaner is not completed, the dust inflow state and the dust amount in the dust container are identified.

13. A method for controlling a cleaner, comprising:

Sucking dust outside the cleaner;

Emitting light in the direction of an inlet of a dust container included in the cleaner at the outside of the dust container using a light emitting element;

detecting a light quantity of the light using a light receiving element provided outside the dust container in a direction of the inlet of the dust container;

identifying a dust inflow state and a dust amount in the dust container based on the voltage value output by the light receiving element; and

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifying comprises:

Calculating an average value of voltage values output by at least one of the light receiving elements in a predetermined time unit; and

The dust amount in the dust container is identified based on the calculated average value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of identifying the amount of dust comprises: based on the average value of the voltage values output by at least one of the light receiving elements in the predetermined time unit being greater than or equal to a preset value, recognizing that the dust amount in the dust container is full, and based on the recognition that the dust amount in the dust container is full, stopping a dust inflow detection operation and moving the cleaner to a station of the cleaner.